Wimbledon 2026: How is the schedule determined?

Q: Why do other Grand Slams – French, Australian and US – play until 2-3 am? John, Brighouse

A: Other Grand Slams have their own local rules that they must adhere to and curfew times will depend on event guidelines issued by their own local authorities.

Question: Why can’t the game start before 1 pm on the show court? Surely if they had started earlier, they wouldn’t have had to worry about postponing the match and moving it to the next day? John, Brighouse

Answer: By timing Center Court and Number One Court at 1.30pm and 1pm respectively, Wimbledon organizers aim to have as many spectators as possible in their seats when the matches begin to welcome the players onto the court.

This allows guests to roam the grounds and watch matches on the outside courts, and gives people living outside of London time to travel to events.

The All England Club also noted that Center Court and Number One Court matches are rarely postponed due to roofs and the 11pm curfew.

Q: Why aren’t all the courts at Wimbledon floodlit so that matches are not postponed due to dimming? Regan-Lewis, Southend

A: To comply with the contract with the local council there is a limited schedule on tournament evenings, meaning that floodlights are not normally required on every court.

Grass courts are also delicate, and floodlights can affect their humidity. In turn, this could mean poor surface quality – leading organizers to add floodlights to every court and play until 11pm.

Grass court matches tend to be shorter than on other surfaces, meaning there is less need for floodlights and evening activities.

The organizers also try to adhere to historical tradition at what time the matches of the day are played.

Wimbledon is primarily an outdoor, day-time event, so playing in poor light is not a regular occurrence. And both the largest courts have a roof to provide cover in case of rain, as well as lighting until the 11pm curfew.

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